Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has ordered the temporary suspension of helicopter landing fees imposed on oil companies over concerns that the charges could disrupt operations in the oil and gas sector.
Keyamo said he gave the directive for suspension of the charges on Monday, March 9, during a meeting with the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Senator Heineken Lokpobiri alongside key stakeholders in the oil and gas industry, including the CEO of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), Mrs. Oritsemeyiwa Eyesan.
Others present at the meeting were representatives of international oil companies (IOCs) operating in Nigeria, as well as members of the Oil Producers Trade Section (OPTS), and the Independent Petroleum Producers Group (IPPG).
Officials from the aviation sector who attended the meeting include Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Aviation, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Airspace Management Agency (NAMA), officials from the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA).
Keyamo said the oil industry stakeholders raised concerns over the enforcement of the helicopter landing fee prescribed by the National Airspace Management Agency (NAMA) for the IOCs in respect of all their helicopter operations on Oil Fields, Terminals, Platforms, Riggs, Floating Production Storage and offloading (FPSO) on Heliports, Helipads, Airstrips and Aerodromes.
“Their concern is that the continued enforcement of the statutory fee may disrupt operations in the sector,” Keyamo stated in a post via his official X handle.
The minister said that after extensive deliberations he order temporary suspension of enforcement of the charges while a broader review is carried out.
According to him, the enforcement of the fees will be halted for an initial period of two months while they set up an inter-ministerial committee to review the collection system and recommend a better option acceptable to all parties.
READ ALSO:
- FAAN Introduces Hybrid Toll Payment After Suspension of Cashless Policy
- Tinubu Orders Temporal Suspension of FAAN’s Cashless Policy at Airport Gates
- Why Nigerian Airlines Struggle with Operating International Flights
“After extensive deliberations, I directed a suspension of the enforcement of the collection of the fee for an initial period of two months, whilst we set up an inter-Ministerial committee to further deliberate on the issue and come up with an acceptable position to all parties,” Keyamo stated.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist, scholar and analyst of socioeconomic issues in Nigeria and Africa. He is skilled in energy reporting, business and economy, and holds a master's degree in mass communication.
